New Zealand to help Fiji overhaul intelligence agencies

WELLINGTON, (New Zealand): Fiji is enlisting New Zealand's intelligence agency to help overhaul its fragmented security sector, the government said, as US warnings of suspected China-linked cyber intrusions highlight concerns about vulnerabilities in the Pacific island nation.

Cabinet approved a six-month partnership with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), funded by Wellington, to assess Fiji's intelligence structure and recommend reforms, Fiji's government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The review is designed to improve coordination and information-sharing across agencies, and reforms would create a more sustainable intelligence framework with clearer roles and stronger support for national security decision-making, the government said.

Fiji did not identify a specific threat behind the review. The NZSIS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US Embassy in Suva earlier this week said it had alerted Fiji and a regional organisation based in the capital to a suspected network compromise between July and August.

The embassy said hackers linked to China maintained access to the organisation's network for several days and that Washington had provided technical recommendations to help Fiji and the affected entity protect their systems.

The United States had continued to observe China-linked state-sponsored cyber actors targeting foreign governments, multilateral organisations and telecommunications networks in the Pacific, the embassy said in a statement. It said stolen data could expose sensitive communications among Pacific island countries and territories.

China's embassy in Suva rejected the allegations, saying in a statement on Tuesday that Beijing opposed hacking and the politicisation of cybersecurity.

"China firmly opposes and combats hacking activities in accordance with law," the embassy said, accusing the United States of making allegations without evidence and calling for dialogue to manage cyber risks.

The intelligence review comes as Pacific governments face growing pressure to protect government networks and critical communications while navigating sharpening competition for influence between China, the United States and its regional partners. — AFP